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Major League Baseball should not ban the use of defensive shifts
Thesis statement: The defensive shifts have come under significant criticism in recent years because they hold off runners on base, making it difficult for the opposing team to score. However, the MLB should not ban defensive shifts to maintain the game’s exciting and innovative nature.
| RO3 points to support the thesis statement: MLB should not burn defensive shifts. MLB is the oldest sport league internationally. It is impossible not to notice the defensive performance activities that the audience may consider strange when watching the game. The infielders during the baseball game move to certain areas instead of staying at a specific spot considered as their standard positions. The infielders’ movement is a defensive shift. RO1: Defensive shift is not illegal Defensive shifts are part of the gameThe defensive shifts provide no harm to the game that stakeholders would term as unfair. Often in the game, players employ shifts as a response effective strategy against attack.[i]Coaches and pitchers can develop a strategy to attack hitters and effectively execute a game plan making shifts more effective. Therefore could increase scores rather than increasing the number of players.[ii]Teams that use the tactic are still vulnerable to attack. For example, when an infield shift leaves an area open, batters that hit have a better chance of scoring.[iii]Baseball leagues widely employ defensive shifts.From 1920, teams continue using defensive shift as a tactical strategy.[iv]Availability of existing restrictions.[v]Exotic shifts in the game have regulations that minimize obstruction. In the ballpark, every infielder and outfielder has a substantial number of groundballs. Also, receive adequate fly balls to feel comfortable in any area on the baseball field.[vi] RO2: Defensive shift encourages innovation and creativity Defensive shifts encourage creativity during the game.Defensive shift influences players to cultivate a strategic plan to respond to an attack and rely not only on the rate of the speed.[vii]The defensive shift cannot rely entirely on batted-ball statistical data. There may be a need to employ a strategic step to either respond or attack during the game.[viii]The defensive shift demonstrates innovation in baseball sports.Since the introduction of the defensive shift, the sport continues to record significant changes, such as the increased use of statistical data and tendencies. Therefore the defensive shifts are not intrusion instead require innovation from the traditional games.[ix] RO3: Unavailability of tangible reason to ban defensive shift. Enforcing the ban would not alter the low batting advantages.The primary factors that contributed to low battling advantages were additional regulations and complex game strategies. Similarly, defensive alignment depends on the player.[x] | Counterclaims CC1: Regain game efficiency The data age on-field outcomes.Through the years, the defensive shift continues to evolve to be one of the visible on-field outcomes of the baseball sport. The outcome occurs because teams plan their defense arrangement using batted-ball information. Therefore increase their winning chances.[xi]There is reason to believe the shifts are fostering increasingly efficient offensive actions. Hence, stakeholders involved should collaborate to ban defensive shit to boost transparency in baseball sports.[xii] CC2: Batting average Minimize batting average of the ball Over the years, defensive shifts continue to attract controversial criticism as experts question its effectiveness. Some researchers conclude defensive shift impact batting average. Therefore refutes the assumption that the effect may depend on the specific player batting.[xiii] CC3: Disadvantages to the opponent team. Exert pressure on batters.Stakeholders, including baseball fans, continuously complain defensive shifts exert pressure on the batter since they cannot handle the opponent team. When players shift from their usual area is a tactic that overwhelms the batters.[xiv] Therefore for left-handed pull hitters with no speed, the shift is against them. |
Conclusion: The defensive shift changes the traditional positions of fielders. The tactical strategy occurs as an approach to move hitters on the base from the opposing team. However, seldom do a team shift its infield players to the outfield. Despite that, the defensive shift faces significant criticism because it holds off runners on base. Therefore make it challenging for the opposing players to score. However, MLB should not ban defensive shift since it shows innovation in the sport, is widely used as part of the game and makes it more interesting. Therefore banning the game would be diminishing elements that make it exciting, especially since nothing bores the audience than watching a baseball game with a high batting average.
[i] Chad Moeller Baseball, LLC. Are Dramatic Defensive Shifts good for Major League Baseball? 2021. Retrieved from
good-for-major-league-baseball/
[ii] Chad Moeller Baseball, LLC. Are Dramatic Defensive Shifts good for Major League Baseball? 2021. Retrieved from
good-for-major-league-baseball/
[iii]Baseball Reference. Defensive shift. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Defensive_shift
[iv] Baseball Reference. Defensive shift. (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.baseball-
reference.com/bullpen/Defensive_shift
[v] Stitzel, B., Mattson, R., & Pjesky, R. The trashy side of baseball: An econometric analysis of the Houston
Astros cheating scandal. Economics Bulletin, 41(2). (2021). 507-522.
[vi] Chad Moeller Baseball, LLC. Are Dramatic Defensive Shifts good for Major League Baseball? 2021. Retrieved from
good-for-major-league-baseball/
[vii] Bouzarth, E., Grannan, B., Harris, J., Hartley, A., Hutson, K., & Morton, E. Swing shift: a mathematical
approach to defensive positioning in baseball. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 17(1). (2021). 47-55.
[viii] Bouzarth, E., Grannan, B., Harris, J., Hartley, A., Hutson, K., & Morton, E. Swing shift: a mathematical
approach to defensive positioning in baseball. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 17(1). (2021). 47-55.
[ix]Bouzarth, E., Grannan, B., Harris, J., Hartley, A., Hutson, K., & Morton, E. Swing shift: a mathematical
approach to defensive positioning in baseball. Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 17(1). (2021). 47-55.
[x] CAUSEweb. Does the Defensive Shift Employed by an Opposing team affecr an MLB team’s Batted Ball Quality and Offensive Performance.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.causeweb.org/usproc/sites/default/files/usclap/2019-2/Does%20the%20Defensive%20Shift%20Employed%20by%20an%20Opposing%20team%20affect%20an%20MLB%20team.pdf
[xi] Chad Moeller Baseball, LLC. Are Dramatic Defensive Shifts good for Major League Baseball? 2021. Retrieved from
good-for-major-league-baseball/
[xii] Chad Moeller Baseball, LLC. Are Dramatic Defensive Shifts good for Major League Baseball? 2021. Retrieved from
good-for-major-league-baseball/
[xiii] CAUSEweb. Does the Defensive Shift Employed by an Opposing team affecr an MLB team’s Batted Ball Quality and Offensive Performance.(2019). Retrieved from https://www.causeweb.org/usproc/sites/default/files/usclap/2019-2/Does%20the%20Defensive%20Shift%20Employed%20by%20an%20Opposing%20team%20affect%20an%20MLB%20team.pdf
[xiv] Swastik I. Don't Worry, MLB — Hitters Are Killing The Shift OnTheir Own. 2019. Retrieved from
